Paper towel harness

ABSTRACT

A portable paper towel dispenser to be worn on the person of the user for the purpose of having a constant access to a roll of paper towels when cleaning. The harness configuration supports a detachable dowel which bears a roll of paper towels. The harness adjusts to present the paper towels in front, back or the side of the user&#39;s body. The harness adjusts to raise or lower the angle of the paper towel roll. A detachable tension device retards unravelling.

BACKGROUND

[0001] 1. Field of Invention

[0002] This invention relates to paper towel holders, specifically a portable paper towel dispenser designed to be worn on the person of the user for the purpose of providing constant access to a roll of paper towels.

[0003] 2. Description of Prior Art

[0004] Paper towel holders are traditionally mounted to flat, stationary surfaces such as walls, cabinets etc. Paper towel holders are usually installed within a work area where they are the most utilized. When needed in other areas, the user will typically tear off a number of sheets as anticipated for the task at hand. Or if the cleaning or drying task is extensive, one typically procures a new roll of paper towels and carries it to the cleaning area.

[0005] Because a roll of paper towels is cumbersome and unwieldy, it is usually carried separately from other cleaning supplies. It is often misplaced or left behind when the user moves on to another cleaning task. Time and motion are often wasted by the effort expended by just trying to keep track of a loose roll of paper towels.

[0006] The paper towel is an indispensable item to the professional cleaning person, as well as to most home-makers. Accordingly, there is a need for a device that provides continual access to paper towels whenever or wherever they are needed.

OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES

[0007] In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a portable paper towel dispensing device is disclosed. Several advantages of my present invention are:

[0008] (a) to provide continual access to a source of paper towels when cleaning.

[0009] (b) to provide a convenient transport of a roll of paper towels while moving to and from, or around a cleaning area.

[0010] (c) to provide an efficient means of dispensing the exact amount of paper towels as needed, when needed.

[0011] (d) to provide an awareness of the whereabouts of the paper towels at all times.

[0012] My paper towel harness has been developed for the purpose of having constant access to a roll of paper towels when cleaning. The paper towel harness is convenient to wear and use for any cleaning task. My invention comprises an adjustable belt with a harness configuration attached to it. The harness supports a dowel which bears a single roll of paper towels. The belt is worn, loosely around the waist allowing the harness to be easily shifted to the front, side or back of the user's body. Thus, the paper towels are conveniently worn out of the way, in back when not in use. And the towels are easily slid to the front or either side of the body for ready access when needed. The harness apendages that support the dowel can also be adjusted to raise or lower the roll of paper towels. This feature permits the towels to be dispensed with the dowel parallel or angled as desired.

[0013] My paper towel harness is light-weight and comfortable to wear. The homemaker will find this device to be a convenience that makes house-maintenance easier. And for the professional cleaning person, my invention can effectively affect the bottom line. Saved time and motion mean increased productivity and profit.

DRAWING FIGURES

[0014] In the drawings, closely related figures have the same number but different alphabetic suffixes.

[0015]FIGS. 1A to 1B show various aspects of a basic paper towel harness construction and its parts.

[0016]FIGS. 2A to 2B show various aspects of the tension device configuration and its parts.

[0017]FIGS. 3A to 3C show various ways the harness is worn on the user's person.

REFERENCE NUMERALS IN DRAWINGS

[0018]10 belt

[0019]12 belt buckle

[0020]14 belt tension lock

[0021]16 harness strapping

[0022]18 D-ring

[0023]20 harness tension lock

[0024]22 bolt snap

[0025]24 dowel

[0026]26 eye screw

[0027]28 fender washer

[0028]30 friction strip

[0029]32 tension tube

[0030]34 upper shock cord tension system

[0031]26 lower shock cord tension system

[0032]38 cord lock

[0033]40 snap hook

[0034] Description-FIGS. 1 and 2

[0035] A typical embodiment of the paper towel harness of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 1A (basic harness) and FIG. 2A (harness with optional tension system). The belt strap 10 and harness straps 16 consist of lengths of web strapping. The belt 10 is cut from approximately 36 inches of web strapping. One end runs through a quick release buckle 12 and the strap is sewn back onto itself. The other end of the strap runs through a tension lock 14 side of the quick release buckle 12. Onto the belt strap 10 is sewn two lengths of harness strapping 16 which are cut to hang approximately ⅔ inches. These appendages are sewn onto the belt 10 approximately 12 inches apart. A tension lock slider 20 is sewn onto the end of each harness strap 16 which allows both harness appendages to adjust in length. Each tension lock 20 is connected to an additional length of web harness strapping 16 which is then sewn to a swivel bolt snap 22. The harness is ready to receive a detachable dowel 24 at this point.

[0036] A narrow, hard foam friction strip 30 is applied to the full length of a wood dowel 24. A fender washer 28 is secured to each end of the dowel 24 with an eye screw 26. The eye screws 26 are both turned to line up and secure a proper placement of the friction strip 30 on the dowel 24. Because the dowel 24 hangs stationary on the harness appendages, the friction strip 30 is fixed slightly in front, on top of the dowel 24. The position of the friction strip 30 is thus maintained when the dowel 24 is hanging in place, on the harness. The friction strip 30 keeps the roll of paper towels from shifting on the dowel 24 in order to retard unraveling. The dowel 24 is attached to the harness configuration via the bolt snaps 22 which open to receive the eye screws 26 at each end of the dowel 24. The dowel 24 may be unsnapped at either end to load a roll of paper towels. A fully loaded harness dowel 24 is shown in FIG. 1B.

[0037] My invention is quite complete and ready to use at this point under normal conditions. Most paper towels are wound tightly enough to remain stable on the dowel 24. But some loosely wound, low density towels may become problematical. Because the paper towel roll is worn on the user's person, the motion of the body, when walking or cleaning may cause the towels to loosen and tend to unravel, especially when working out-of-doors or in the wind. To compensate for adverse conditions, my invention includes an optional, detachable tension device to keep the paper towel roll stable yet still allow for the perforated towels to be easily dispensed. The device is illustrated in FIG. 2A and 2B.

[0038] My tension device comprises a hollow plastic tension tube 32 which rests on the top of a roll of paper towels which have been loaded onto the wood dowel 24 which has been clipped onto the harness configuration. A lower shock cord system 36 and an upper shock cord system 34 which consist of separate lengths of elastic shock cord, simultaneously run through the tension tube 32. The upper shock cord system 34 consists of a single length of elastic shock cord which runs through the tension tube 32 and upwards through a D-ring 18 attached to the the harness belt 10 where the ends are secured with a cord lock 38. The lower shock cord system 36 consists of a double length of elastic shock cord which runs through the tension tube 32 and downwards to the eye screws 26 located on both ends of the wood dowel 24. One end is run through an eye screw 26 and secured with a cord lock 38. The other end is run down and clipped to the other eye screw 26 with a snap hook, which may be unsnapped to disengage the tension device when re-loading the paper towels onto the dowel 24.

[0039] The function of the lower shock cord system 36 is to maintain a constant pressure of the tension tube 32 against the paper towel roll. The ends of the lower shock cord system 36 are attached to the eye screws 26 of the wood dowel 24 which causes an inward pressure towards the paper towels mounted on the dowel 24. As the paper towel roll diminishes, more pressure is needed. This is accomplished by pulling the elastic shock cord ends through the cord lock 38 and locking it when the desired tension is attained. Thus, the lower shock cord system 36 adjusts to the circumference of the roll of paper towels as the towels are being dispensed.

[0040] Because the lower shock cord system 36 pulls the tension tube 32 snugly against the paper towel roll, it prevents the towels from unrolling. Therefore the upper shock cord system 34 is employed to create an opposing tension to the lower shock cord system 36. The upper elastic shock cord system 34. is attached to the D-ring 18 on the harness belt 10 contributing an outward pressure, upwards and away from the paper towel roll. The basic function of the upper shock cord system 34 is to raise or lower the tension tube 32 as needed, creating just enough resistance against the lower shock cord system 36 to relieve the pressure on the paper towels, thus permitting the towels to be freely dispensed. To disengage the tension system without removing it, the lower shock cord system 36 is completely loosened by releasing the cord lock 38 which relaxes the pressure on the paper towels causing the upper shock cord system 34 to automatically raise the tension tube 32 upwards and out of the way.

[0041] It should be noted and understood that with respect to the embodiments of the present invention, the materials suggested may be modified or substituted to achieve the overall resultant high efficiency. The substitution of materials or dimensions remain within the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0042] Operation-FIG. 3

[0043] The manner of using my invention is similar to any mounted paper towel dispenser, however, my invention is a paper towel dispenser that is conveniently worn on the person of the user. No wasted motion walking back and forth from a wall mounted paper towel source. And no wasted energy bending over to retrieve a loose roll of paper towels. One simply reaches down with the hand to tear off the desired amount of towels.

[0044] When not in use, the harness is worn in back as seen in FIG. 3A. To move the harness to the front (FIG. 3B) or to the side (FIG. 3C), one simply slides the belt around to the position desired. The belt is best worn loosely between the waist and hip for easy maneuvering. When in use, the harness is placed in front or to either side. The harness appendages are adjustable in length, allowing either end of the dowel to be raised or lowered for the comfort and convenience of the user. In practice, the tension device is not necessary for general use. The friction strip on the dowel sufficiently retards unravelling under normal conditions.

[0045] The paper towel roll can even be worn vertically to one side when the tension device is not in use by unsnapping one end of the dowel, releasing it to drop down in a vertical position. The loose end may be secured with a toggle pin placed through the eye screw to keep the paper towel roll from slipping off of the dowel. The towels are slightly more prone to unravelling in this mode. But, when working in a small area, it's a viable option.

[0046] To re-load the harness with a new roll of towels, one unsnaps the dowel from either harness appendage and loads the towels. The harness is ambidexterous. But when the tension device is employed, it must be disengaged by unhooking the lower shock cord system from the snap hook side of the dowel before re-loading.

[0047] Summary, Ramifications and Scope

[0048] Accordingly, the reader will see that the paper towel harness of this invention can be used not only by professional cleaning persons, car detailers, painters etc. but it is a convenience and time saver for the average homemaker as well. Furthermore, the paper towel harness has the additional advantages in that:

[0049] it permits the roll of paper towels to be transported to a cleaning area on the person of the user, freeing the hands for other tasks.

[0050] it permits immediate access to a roll of paper towels.

[0051] it permits constant awareness and control of the location of the paper towels.

[0052] it permits the user to switch to other tasks without removing the harness.

[0053] Although the description above contains many specifications, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention, but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments of this invention. For example, the dowel system, presently comprising a wood dowel, friction strip, washers and eye screws could conceivably be manufactured as a self-contained, one piece unit in plastic, metal or other composition. The tension device is open to modifications in materials and hardware, possibly even future automation. The harness alone lends itself to the possibilities of being modified to be worn over the shoulder or across the chest, dropping the dowel to the side. The dowel can easily be worn in a vertical position with very little modification. However, the friction strip's effectiveness is diminished in this position and a new tension system would need to be designed.

[0054] Thus the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than the examples given. 

I claim:
 1. In a portable paper towel dispenser of the type comprising an adjustable belt attached to an adjustable harness configuration which supports a detachable dowel which bears a roll of paper towels, and includes an optional, detachable tension device.
 2. The portable paper towel dispenser of claim 1 wherein the body of material is composed of one inch web strapping, a said wood dowel and hardware.
 3. The portable paper towel dispenser of claim 1 wherein a friction strip is strategically placed on the full length of said detachable dowel as a means to retard unravelling.
 4. The portable paper towel dispenser of claim 1 wherein said harness configuration is joined to said belt by two appendages of web strapping spaced approximately twelve inches apart.
 5. The said harness configuration of claim 4 wherein each said web strapping appendage incorporates a tension lock and an additional length of said web strapping as a means whereby said harness appendages are adjustable in length.
 6. The said web strapping appendages of claim 5 wherein a bolt snap is attached to the end of each said appendage to receive a detachable dowel with eye screws at both ends.
 7. The portable paper towel dispenser of claim 1 wherein a said roll of paper towels may be stabilized by an optional, detachable said tension device as a secondary means of preventing said roll of paper towels from unravelling.
 8. The said tension device of claim 7 comprising opposing upper and lower elastic shock cord systems which are threaded through a common hollow tension tube as a means to exert a constant, controlled pressure against a said roll of paper towels.
 9. The said upper elasticised shock cord system of claim 8 which runs through the said tension tube and upwards to connect to the belt of the harness through a D-ring and fastens with a cord lock.
 10. The said lower elasticised shock cord system of claim 8 which runs through the said tension tube and downwards through an eye screw on one end of the said dowel and fastens with a cord lock while the other end of the shock cord is attached to a snap hook which opens to receive the other said eye screw on the other end of the said dowel. 